Whether it’s masochism or just our full blown Android addiction, every now and then we like to take a look on the other side of the globe, just to see what tasty treats Android OEMs are cooking up in other regions. Japan has long boasted some of the most powerful, cutting edge smartphones in the world, but because the vast majority never seem launch outside the country, they tend to get little coverage.

Sony Xperia Z1 (left) vs Sharp AQUOS Phone Xx 302sh (right)

Sharp is one manufacturer we’ve been keeping an eye on. Back in October the Japanese OEM announced their all new Sharp AQUOS Phone Xx 302sh. The phone is an Android fanboys wetdream, featuring a healthy set of specs, and some of the smallest bezels we’ve yet to see from an Android device. The math? The 5.2-inch display covers nearly 80.5% of the device’s total face, putting it well ahead of the competition. This means the phone is actually smaller than say, a 5-inch Sony Xperia Z, with the AQUOS Phone 302sh putting its 5.2-inches to much better use.

Today Sharp announced a few new devices headed to Japanese carrier KDDI: the 7-inch Sharp AQUOS Pad, and the AQUOS Phone SERIE Mini SHL24 (a rehash of the AQUOS Phone Xx Mini). Both feature respectable specs in their given categories and Sharp’s trademark uber thin bezels (Sharp calls it their “EDGEST” design). While the AQUOS Phone Mini still has a little bit of chin, we think it does a pretty good job given its all around smaller form factor and “tiny” 4.5-inch 1080p display. Again, we don’t expect these to ever make their way stateside, but they sure are fun to look at…

Looking ahead to the rest of the year and beyond, we’re hoping more Android manufacturers will jump on the trend of ever shrinking bezels, giving us the best display-to-bezel ratio for our buck. You never know what the future holds for Android. Great, isn’t it?

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